TurnOn Sports
"Sport as fetish" is theme of this latest coffee table compilation of ultra-ultra-ultra-hot models from Bruno Gmünder. The book further cements this German publishing firm’s reputation as the Tiffany’s of male beefcake photography.
The subtitle of "TurnOn Sports," "the best in erotic sports photography," pretty well sums up the book. "Our perception of male beauty has evolved considerably," writes Luke Lalor, a photo agent in Berlin, in the introduction (in English, as is all of the text intros of the various photographers). "Today, our ideal man is toned, tanned and athletic."
If you thought David Beckham in a pair of underwear was hot, wait until you see these gods in all their naked and semi-naked glory!
Playing With a Theme
The vast majority of the photographers featured live in the United States (although many of them were born elsewhere). Several do live and work in Europe and one in Singapore. I hope I don’t sound (too) chauvinistic if I comment that the American models are generally the most buff. The most notable exceptions are Pedro Virgl’s (straight not definitely gay-friendly) Australian rugby players, taken from a charity calendar. A close-up of one of these men’s faces makes him easily the most handsome (can I say beautiful?) guy in the book -- certainly from the neck up.
The photo here, by New York-based David Arnot, gives an indication of the way each photographer plays with sports equipment and outfits. There are plenty of jock straps here, as you’d expect. But there’s lots of other equipment, especially on the back end (no frontal nudity).
Beefy - & Masculine
This photo from Texan Mark Henderson shows that these guys are not all pretty boys. Many of them are masculine, mature -- but always muscular. Football gear, along with boxing, swimsuits, wrestling singlets, soccer shorts and, of course, jocks are featured by several photographers.
Body Types - & Hair
For those guys who despair of ever seeing the hottest models with any body hair, don’t despair: There are some guys with body hair here. Some are even moderately hairy. OK, the vast majority are hairless, but that’s to be expected these days: Guys who are this buff don’t want anything obscuring those rippled muscles.
Wow. Just Wow.
This tattooed American football player from Michael Stokes pretty much says it all. If you’ve ever fantasized about seeing a quarterback’s full-on back, this is the book for you.
As the title implies, this is a sometimes-witty, always-hot, takeoff on the world of sports and male athletes. It’s doubtful if you’ll see most of these photos in Sports Illustrated or on ESPN.
Their loss.
Turnon Sports: The Best in Erotic Sports Photography
256 pages, full color (a few photos in black and white)
Hardcover with dust jacket; on hard paper stock with excellent color reproduction.
$53
Published by Bruno Gmünder
